Excellence Recognized at Fall Awards Ceremony 2025
Wednesday, December 10 2025 | 13 h 47 min | News
The University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science celebrated outstanding student achievement at its Fall Awards Ceremony on November 28, 2025. The event honoured learners who demonstrated academic excellence, clinical promise and leadership, made possible through the continued generosity of donors and supporting associations.
This year’s recipients included:
Major Awards & Scholarships
• Barbara Sivak Memorial Award: Sara Zakhour, Taylor Chamoun El-Helou
• Dr. David McKenna Memorial Scholarship: Rachel Murphy
• Dr. Douglas H. Jenkins Memorial Scholarship: Hayley Rideout
• Dr. Karen Tompa Nowy Third-Year Memorial Award: Tara MacKinnon
• Dr. Reed Dawkins Entrance Award: Prableen Dhugga
• Drs. Wensveen and Smith Award in Binocular Vision and Perception: Abarnaa Arithas
• E.F. Attridge Award for Highest Achievement in Pathology: Reagan Myers
• E.J. Chisholm Memorial Scholarship: Samra Brkic
• EssilorLuxottica Eye Care Award: Kaitlyn Dufault, Adrianna Warren
• Frederick T. Armstrong Scholarship: Benjamin Quilley
• FYidoctors Academic Leadership Award: Shreya Jain
• J. Pat Cummings Scholarship: Jordyn Matthews
• Manitoba Association of Optometrists A.H. Basman O.D. Scholarships: Sarah Marks, Sophia Devinyak, Emma Coughlan
• Monaghan Memorial Scholarship: Abby Walker
• New Brunswick Association of Optometrists Scholarship: Elise Violet Hansen
• Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists Scholarship: Katelyn Geddes
• Reginald Williams Memorial Scholarship: Emily Lolita Wood
• Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists Scholarship: Jon Raedeke
• Steve de Pinto Awards: Fadi Naom, Carli Taylor Hemsworth
• VSP and AAOF Canadian Practice Excellence Scholarships: Helen Liang, Paige Wagar
Summer Research Awards
• Bobier/Fisher/Lyle Research Award: Julia Jin
• Dr. Howard A. Backman Scholarship: Vicky Shah
• H. Stein Summer Research Award: Helena Woo
• Optometry Faculty Undergraduate Research Scholarship: Jordyn Matthews
The ceremony also highlighted the meaningful presence of donors and family representatives, including Dr. Jake Sivak, Britt Backman, and Zach Riley of EssilorLuxottica, underscoring the strong ties between the profession and the next generation of Canadian optometrists.
For more details, visit the University of Waterloo announcement.
Source : University of Waterloo
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